Goodnight, Moon
by Awen Sofer
Summary: *Contains spoilers for movie!* Pre-Rise of the Guardians; begins while Jack Frost is human. May contain some AU aspects since it contains an OC and takes place at a time period before the movie. Kamari is the daughter of the Man in the Moon who meets a very special boy named Jack and his sister. Rating will eventually change later in the story.
1. Chapter 1

Kamari stared down at the earth, her almost colorless eyes scanning the beautiful blue and green marble she watched quietly each night. Sometimes her father, the Man in the Moon, allowed her to go there. She loved it when he did. She would ride down one of the shafts of light to land softly on the soft green grass. On occasion, she miscalculated her trajectory and landed in the expansive salty, ocean but she did not mind. She would simply shake herself off, squeezing the water out of her silvery hair. Her gossamer glittering gown of white never took long to dry either. Then she would walk among the people, invisible except to a few small children who would sometimes catch sight of her peeking inside their windows.

"Would you like to take a trip?" her father asked, breaking her out of her reverie as she studied the world she had come to adore.

"Oh, yes," she excitedly responded, hopping from her bed.

"Be careful, sweetheart," her father told her, beaming broadly at her.

Kamari thought she had the most handsome father. His hair was as white as the face of the moon itself and framed his strong facial features in soft waves. Her eyes were like his; such a light, silvery gray color there was almost no color at all. She hugged him briefly before running out of the house to catch the next moonbeam on it's way to earth. Holding on tightly with one hand to the column of pure white light, she waved good-bye to her father as she began her anticipated journey to earth. Luckily, tonight she landed in the middle of a forest. She giggled as her feet touched the damp earth and the wet leaves stuck to her bare feet. Looking around, she realized she had been here before. There was a small village close by so she ran toward it with reckless abandon.

Kamari strolled through the streets, content with her invisibility and being ignored by the villagers who passed by her or even through her. She observed everyone and everything with boundless curiosity. Humans were captivating creatures. Sometimes they were funny and entertaining. Other times they were creepy and scary. Thankfully in this village, the people were pleasant and seemed as enamored with her father as she was with them. Tonight was the night of their moon festival held in honor of him. Joyfully clapping her hands, she bounced up and down in her solitary glee as she entered the brightly decorated village.

Candles of all shapes and sizea burned in windows and in fancy candelabras. The street lights were being lit in a ceremonial manner. Decorations made of paper adorned the windows of house and storefronts. Some were cut outs of the moon during its different phases. Others were caricatures of her father, the Man in the Moon. Her nose wrinkled when she saw one painting that portrayed him as an ancient old man with a humped back and long crooked nose.

"Hmph, my father doesn't look like that at all," she grumbled to herself, glaring at the picture with a very critical eye.

"What does your father look like? Is your father really the Man in the Moon?" an excited young female voice inquired behind her.

Kamari spun around to look into the warm, deep brown eyes of a young girl with brown hair that extended below her shoulders. She returned the child's friendly smile not sure if she should run or not. How could the child see her?

"I'm surprised more people can't see you. We are celebrating the Moon Festival after all so they have to believe in the Man in the Moon right?" she inquired, receiving a stilted nod in reply. "If they believe in him, surely they could see his daughter."

Kamari backed away when the girl who she assumed to be around ten years old moved toward her with an outstretched hand.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you," the girl assured her.

"Hey, sis, who are you talking to?" a male voice called before owner of the voice appeared.

Kamari stared at the boy of about twelve with messy, spiky brown hair and the same golden brown eyes of his sister. She stood transfixed as he boldy walked right up to her and stood so close to her that his nose almost touched hers.

"Who are you?" he questioned her, his eyes roving over with the same curiosity with which she was studying him.

"Kamari. Who are you?"

"Jack."

"Jack," she repeated, holding the intense gaze of his glowing brown eyes.

"Your name means moon right?" he asked, smiling at her finally before backing away to give her some room to breathe.

"Yes, it does," she answered proudly.

"Well, Moon, you're very pretty," he complimented, causing both of them to blush darkly.

"Thank you, but my name is Kam - " she tried correct him before he cut her off.

"I know what your name is. I want to call you what you are," he said, running his fingers through her long silver hair.

"Hey, um, the festival is beginning," his sister mumbled, tugging on Jack's shirt sleeve. Holding out her hand to their new friend, she pleaded, "Come with us."

"All right," Kamari agreed, taking the girl's hand.

"You're my new best friend," the sweet child told her.

"She's _our_ new best friend," her brother corrected her, taking her other hand.

Kamari smiled at him, gripping both of their hands tightly as they led her to the town square where the festival was just beginning. She continued to hold their hands as they manuevered through the crowd of people. Lively music began to play from the center of the commotion, drawing them like moths to a flame. They watched on the outskirts of the growing throng as people gathered in the cobblestone square that had obviously become the designated dance floor.

"It's amazing," Kamari breathed, dazzled by the lights and noise and nonstop action.

"It sure is," Jack commented, staring at the unusual girl beside him.

"Jack, dance with her," his sister whispered across Kamari who did not seem to hear her anyway.

"Sounds like a great idea to me. Let's go, Moon," he said, pulling her toward the cobblestones.

"Wait! I don't know how to dance," she protested, attempting to jerk her hand from his.

"It's easy!" he exclaimed off handedly, pulling her into his arms after stepping onto the dance floor.

Kamari was unable to move or even breathe as his lovely chestnut colored eyes met hers. She immediately became aware of his arm around her waist while his fingers wrapped around her other hand and pulled it up high.

"Just follow me. I'll show you," he murmured, leading her across the dance floor.

Kamari trembled in his arms, nervous about this thing called dancing. It seemed like a lot of fun, but she had never done it before. Tripping over her own feet, she stumbled into Jack who held her securely and righted her before covering her misstep by turning her around in a large circle while holding her in his arms.

"It's okay. Relax. I've got you," he assured her, spinning her around again as if to prove his point.

Kamari squealed with delight as the world went sweeping past her, the people and the lights blurring in her vision. She giggled when they stopped twirling to begin making the small, measured steps of a dance that the other people were doing. The chuckling died away when her eyes once again contacted his. Keeping her eyes on his made it easy to follow his steps. Relishing his brilliant smile that bathed her in an ambient glow that almost rivaled that of her home, the moon, she felt a stirring deep within her chest. An almost impercetable flutter, like a one of the first butterflies of spring, tickled her body deep within before it soared and almost made her feel lightheaded.

"Are you all right?" he queried, his eyebrows drawing together with concern when her eyes got extremely shiny and held a dreamy, sleepy look to them.

"Oh, I've never been better," she answered, enjoying this new sensation that heated her body from the inside out.

"Hmmm," Jack murmured quizzically as a soft pink hue tinted her perfect white cheeks. He seemed to notice for the first time she was beautiful in a way unlike the other pretty girls he had seen. She possessed an ethereal beauty with a dreamlike quality to her; almost like she was not even a real person. Shaking his head, a lopsided grin tilted his lips while he pondered the possible source of that bit of romantic nonsense which had sprung to his mind. Looking up at the full moon that glowed above them, he wondered if his little sister was right. Could she be the daughter of the Man in the Moon? But that's silly. The Man in the Moon was nothing more than a character from a children's story. Wasn't he?

"What's wrong?" Kamari asked when Jack began looking at her strangely. Growing self-conscious, she reached up to rub her nose to make sure a bug or something had not landed on it and he was just too polite to say so.

"N-nothing," he stuttered, dropping his arms. "The dance is over."

"Oh, so soon?" She pouted momentarily, unable to hide her disappointment.

"But there's so much more to do. Come on!" he shouted, leading her from the dance floor at an increasing speed. By the time they reached his sister, he was at a dead run and grabbed her by the hand as they moved past hurriedly. He led them to a pond, leaving them both on the snowy bank as he tentatively stepped out to test the surface.

"What are you doing?" Kamari asked, holding on to his sister's hand.

"I'm testing the ice," he responded, carefully making his way to the center of the pond. Taking a deep breath, he dared to jump up to test the true thickness and strength of the ice. He landed on the slippery surface, immediately loosing his footing. Momentarily he resembled a newborn calf, his arms and legs flying in all different directions, before he lost his balance completely and crashed down onto the cold, hard surface of the lake.

"JACK!" both females screeched in fear from his unexpected spill, moving closer to the edge but not stepping onto the ice.

"I'm okay!" he shouted, jumping to his feet but being more careful to maintain his balance on the slippery surface. "It's safe. Come out."

"Kamari, don't go," the brown haired girl holding her hand begged her.

"He's your brother. He wouldn't do anything to harm you," she said, surprised when the child withdrew with a worried expression on her face.

"Come on!" he urged them, gliding across the ice on his bare feet. "It's fun."

"It does look fun," Kamari thought out loud in a low voice. Pushing away with one foot, she shrieked with happiness as she slid across the frigid, slick surface with ease.

Jack whizzed past her, nearly knocking her down. Taking a wide berth and his time in making the circle back around to her, he moved in concentric circles until he slid to stop in front of her.

Kamari glared at him suspiciously for a moment, considering the hand he held out for her. She had taken that hand before and experienced the fabulous thing called dancing. What magnificent new thrill awaited her this time? Closing her eyes as she placed her hand in his, she bit her lower with anticipation of what awaited her. Soon she felt herself being pulled along the ice by him. Opening one eye and then the other, she looked around at the frozen, still landscape that flashed past them in the silvery moonlight that lit up the area. The white-blue beams of light made the snow and ice glitter as if stars had fallen from the sky and littered the trees and ground of the woods.

"It's so beautiful. I never knew winter could be so gorgeous," she stated with the unabashed wonderment of a very young child. No matter how many times she saw it, the earth and everything in it never lost it's uniqueness or ability to captivate her. It was always as if she was seeing it all for the very first time.

Suddenly, Kamari found herself being propelled across the ice with nothing but a big snowbank looming in front of her. She tried to stop herself but only managed to flail her arms helplessly which in turn threw her off balance. Yelping in pain as her behind made agaonizing contact with the ice, she covered her face with her hands before she impacted the snowbank and was buried in the cold, wet spray of ice crystals.

"Jack! That was mean!" his sister shrieked in horror from the bank of the pond.

Kamari stood up from the snowbank, livid from the unexpected prank. She shivered as the ice melted and ran down her skin in freezing rivulets causing the cold to penetrate her skin.

"I-I'm g-going h-home!" she stuttered indignantly, her teeth chattering audibly.

"Hey...hey, wait!" Jack yelled rushing toward her or attempting to as she reached up into nothingness and seemed to disappear in an instant. After seeming to run in mid-air and getting nowhere, he finally made another unscheduled meeting with ice causing more pain to his sore rump. Staring at the empty space where the girl had been standing moments before, he scratched his head in confusion. "What the -"

"Jack! You need to quit playing those mean tricks! It's going to get you into big trouble someday," his sister warned.

If only he had known what the future would hold, he would have paid closer attention to his sister's warning.


	2. Chapter 2

"Goodnight, Moon," Jack breathed into the cool night air removing his elbows from the windowsill. Sighing heavily, he turned around to see his little sister standing behind him, her big big brown eyes locked on his face and her face set in a scowl.

"She's never coming back is she?" Alina* pouted heavily, poking out her lip.

"I don't know," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Maybe."

Obviously Jack had angered the strange girl pretty badly. He glanced toward the window just before a soft breeze blew in through the window. The air was slightly warm and carried with it the promise of the new season. The spring thaw had come and tomorrow was the celebration that officially heralded in the season: Easter. It had been months since the Moon Celebration so he seriously doubted they would ever see her again.

~\0/~

* * *

Kamari sat at the rough hewn wooden table, idly holding the paintbrush in her hand as the little egg ran around beneath the paint soaked bristles practically painting itself. With her chin propped on her hand, she was lost in thought about the two humans she had met months ago on that cold winter night. Shivering with the remembrance of her impact with the snowbank, she recalled why she had not returned. Thinking of the little sister with her earnest eyes and kindness, she realized she could at least return to visit her. There was no reason to end her friendship with the sister because of her mischievous brother's prank.

Jack. Her mind wandered again to form a picture of the devilish human boy in her mind. She even recalled that rascally lopsided smile on his face while his eyes sparkled in the moonlight with a hint of his deep-seated impishness. With a lengthy, forlorn sigh, she replayed in her head their dance on the cobblestones where she had felt that bizarre feeling in her chest. Her fingers pressed against her heart, feeling it beating faster beneath her fingertips. That always happened when she thought of him. How odd.

"Hey, Kammie," Bunnymund called to her as he watched his precious little egg jump in an attempt to finish off his paint job. The girl ignored him so he called her again. And again. Poking her hard enough to almost knock her off the stool she was sitting on got her attention.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered, blinking in confusion. She looked at the blue-gray bunny who was over six foot tall wondering what he wanted.

Bunnymund was an intimidating specimen not only because of his height but due to the tribal tattoos covering his furry biceps and thighs, his back from shoulder to shoulder, and even his forehead. The boomerang and knife he wore strapped to his back completed his warrior appearance. He was the Easter Bunny and fierce protector of Hope. Of course, who would take Easter more seriously than him?

"Kammie, you can't expect my little eggs to paint themselves now can you?" he asked, watching the girl as she dipped her brush into the purple paint to begin making a line around the egg.

"No. I can't," she mumbled, making a concerted effort to concentrate on her task at hand without her mind wandering to memories of the human children.

"What's wrong with you?" he questioned her, digging his fists into his hips as she studied her to try to figure out her problem.

"Nothing. Why?" she inquired off handedly, ignoring his perusal as she continued to dab color on the egg.

"You've been distracted and downright careless for months. You're spending too much time in the Warren. You need to get out more," he urged her, adjusting his leather wrist protectors before adding, "It's been months since you've made a visit to earth. You love it there. What happened?"

"Nothing," she lied, shooing the little egg off the table. A smile lit her face when another, pristine white egg jumped onto the table, happily dancing toward her to receive his bright coloration. Tomorrow he would make some earth child happy when they found him.

"Don't lie to me, girl," the serious rabbit warned her, shaking his furry paw at her. "You're father and I have discussed this at length trying to figure out what's wrong with you."

"I don't know. I just feel so sad. There was this boy - " she began to be cut off by the warrior bunny.

"Uh-oh," he muttered, rubbing his chin as the flower tattoo on his forehead crinkled up to look more like a stepped on tulip. "A boy huh?"

"What do you mean 'uh-oh'?" she demanded, putting down her paintbrush. She could not dismiss the pouting egg as he sat down beside brush dejectedly. "I'll get back to you in a minute."

"Maybe your father should be the one you discuss this with," he suggested, suddenly turning his back to her and quickly skedaddling away with his fluffy bunny tail bobbing in the air in the wake of his immediate departure.

"Coward! You started it!" she yelled after him.

"Maybe you should just go see him!" he bellowed from what he thought was a safe distance.

"Who? My father?"

"No! The boy!"

"Hmmm...no way," she stubbornly muttered, picking up the paintbrush to finish her job. Putting down the brush again, a thought occurred to her. "Just because Jack made me angry does not mean I cannot go see Alina."

The egg impatiently pulled on her finger. He was ready for Easter and time was waning fast.

"All right, all right," she murmured to the egg, considering the completely white shell momentarily. "I think I'll make you special for a certain someone. Would you like that?"

The oval being hopped up and down to show his happiness and approval.

~\0/~

* * *

Kamari stood outside of the window holding the light blue egg the color of a winter sky in her hand. Although it was no longer winter, she had painted a large white snowflake on the egg and enhanced the design with silvery glitter. Leaning closer to the window, she peered into the darkened room in hopes of catching a glimpse of the dear girl who had called her friend. A lump moved in the bed, pushing back the quilt to reveal the sweet face of the one she was looking for. Tapping on the glass, she waited as the figure stirred again groaning with protests to not be awakened. She used her knuckles this time to make a louder sound. Stifling a giggle as the child sat bolt upright in bed with wide startled eyes, she waved to make her presence known.

"Kamari!" the girl shrieked to be vehemently shushed by the silver haired girl standing outside of her bedroom. Running to the window, she grabbed the edge and thrust it up so hard the glass rattled in the pane. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she whispered, holding out her hands that cupped the egg protectively. "Here. I brought you a present."

"Oh, it's beautiful," Alina gasped, carefully taking the delicate present. "I'm so glad you're here. Can you come in?"

"No. Not tonight. I'm supposed to be helping the Easter Bunny, but I wanted to see you," she said, reaching out to touch the girl's cheek when her eyes instantly turned sad and filled with tears. "I'll be back. I promise."

"Okay," her friend returned, a big smile curling her lips and extending to her eyes where the tears disappeared.

Kamari backed away, waving as she went. After receiving a good-bye wave in return, she grabbed the next passing moonbeam and used it to vault herself to Bunnymund's location in the town square to help him hide the eggs.

"Did you see him?" the nosy rabbit inquired, stashing a rainbow stripped egg in a large potted plant.

"See who?" she asked, purposely playing dumb because the curious rabbit had not left her alone about the boy. He kept insisting she was in love; whatever that was. Being the Easter Bunny, he claimed he knew about such things. Love and new beginnings, hope and eternal happiness. Marriage, children, and families as well. She had laughed in embarrassment and pushed the thought aside. How could a human ever love a mythical being who they did not even believe existed? She often thought the only reason Jack could see her that night at the festival was not because he believed in the Man in the Moon but because his sister had believed and he believed in his sister.

"Hmmm," the somewhat grumpy furball grunted, deciding to drop the subject. He had too much work to do to worry about romantic matters at this time.

~\0/~

* * *

"Jack! Jack! Look what I got!" Alina yelled excitedly after rushing into her brother's room.

"What?" he groaned wishing his baby sister would go away. He was tired. Somehow his mother had actually managed to make him do his chores that day instead of him escaping to be able to play. Being carefree and useless was how he preferred to spend his days. And he was great at it.

"Jack, wake up!" she screeched impatiently, punching him in the arm.

"Ow! Quit it! That really hurt!" he whined, rubbing his sore arm that was even more sore now. He hated working. Giving up on getting sleep at the moment, he decided to sit up and take notice of what was so important his sister felt the need to wake him in the middle of the night.

"Look," she blurted, holding out the object in her hands.

"It's an egg," he muttered staring at the thing. He was not impressed. Tomorrow was Easter and they would be seeing a lot of them.

"It's from _her_," she said pointedly, placing her finger against the snowflake.

"Her who?" he asked, feigning disinterest as his heart skipped a beat before speeding up. He knew darn good and well _her _who. How could she have been so close yet not come to see him? Gazing at the snowflake, he remembered. Oh...he had sent her careening into that snowbank. A smile curled his lips despite the memory of her swift departure after the event and her not bothering to say hello to him tonight when she visited.

"Kamari came to see me," she announced joyously, covering the egg protectively as he reached for it. "No, Jack, she gave it to me."

The smile abruptly dropped from his face. He guessed he did not deserve a present much less a visit from her because of the mean trick he had played on her. But it was supposed to be funny! Didn't females have a sense of humor? Too late he learned what they thought was funny was different from what a male thinks is funny.

* * *

*I know his sister had no name in the movie. I'm just tired of referring to her as 'Jack's sister' and she deserves a name. Alina means kind.


	3. Chapter 3

Kamari tapped on the window, giggling when the pile of covers flew through the air and an excited Alina hit the floor, stumbling in her hurry to get to the window. She backed up as the girl threw open the window and leaned half of her body out.

"You're here! You're here! You did come back!" the child shouted happily.

"Shhhh! Calm down before you alert the whole village," Kamari said, holding her hands up.

"Jack misses you," she declared for some unknown reason. Maybe it was because she was tired of seeing him moping around the village all day every day. Lately, he had not even played any tricks on her or any of the other village kids which was highly unusual for him.

"I don't care," the silvery white being sniffed, her glow momentarily growing brighter with a pulse of anger.

"How can you still be mad with him?" she asked, propping her elbows on the windowsill.

"I don't know. I just...am," she responded, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly. It was a matter of pride that she had to continue being mad with him. Deep down she did not want to be upset with him. What she wanted to do was sneak into his room and whisper in his ear that she missed him.

"Oh, my goodness," Alina muttered, shaking her head.

"Hey! Move out of the way and I'll come in," Kamari said, pushing on the girl's shoulder.

"Okay!" Alina moved back and waited for her ethereal friend to climb through the window before she hugged her.

~...~

Jack covered his head with the pillow. He had listened to the erratic bursts of girlish glee for hours and they were absolutely terrible at trying stifle it. Another burst of laughter drifted through the wall and he clasped his feather pillow tighter around his ears.

"Shut up in there!" he yelled, throwing the pillow at the wall in frustration. That only made them laugh again. He was not irritated with the giggling. He was annoyed because Kamari had refused to acknowledge his presence. She had not even bothered to say a quick hello. Even if it was gruff with aggravation, it would be nice to hear her voice directed at him. Growling, he jumped out of the bed. Moving quickly over the short distance down the hall to his sister's bedroom where he started banging on the door. "Hey! I said to shut - "

The door opened to reveal the silver-haired girl, literally of his dreams. He could not get her out of his head. Dreaming of her every night had kept him from sleeping well which caused him to be terminally irritable and excessively grumpy. He no longer even felt like playing and having fun. Staring at her now, he was not sure what to say.

"Up," he muttered, finishing his earlier exclamation.

"Jack," she gasped, staring at him with butterflies in her chest and belly. Without thinking, she rushed forward, flinging herself against his chest. Seeing him again, looking into those chocolate-brown eyes, made her forget her ridiculous anger.

"I've missed you," they stated in unison before a light blush tinted their cheeks and they chuckled self-consciously at themselves and each other.

"I'm sorry I was angry with you for so long," she said, ruffling his messy brown hair.

"I'm sorry you were too," he joked with her.

"Jack," she murmured, slapping him playfully on the chest.

"Oh, brother," Alina grumbled, rolling her eyes. She almost wished Kamari had stayed angry with him.

"Can I join you?" he asked, his blush deepening.

"Yes," Kamari answered in distinct disagreement with Alina's vehemently voiced, "NO!"

The girls looked at each other then gave into another fit of giggles. They each grabbed one of Jack's hands and pulled him into the room. Jumping onto Alina's bed, they gathered into a tight little circle with their heads leaning together as they talked. Kamari listened with rapt attention as they talked about all the things they had been doing to make the most of summer as it was coming to a close. They ran through the forest on daily adventures and swam in the pond during the day. At night, they caught fireflies or just stared at the stars.

"I like fireflies," Kamari said with excitement. "They're like stars that have come to earth."

"Want to go catch some?" Jack asked, climbing off the bed.

"Really?" She took the hand he extended to her. A surge of heat travelled through her body as he pulled her toward him. This thing called being in love was really weird.

"I'm sleepy," Alina yawned, lying down to get comfortable.

"I can come back another night and we will do it," Kamari suggested, feeling as disappointed as he looked.

"Okay. That sounds good," he said, happy to know he would be seeing her again soon. "Good night, Moon."

"Goodnight, Jack." She moved toward the bed to kiss the extremely drowsy Alina. "Good night."

Jack watched her crawl through the window then turn to look at him. Raising his hand to bid her farewell one more time, he shielded his face when her usual blue-white luminescence grew to a blinding glow before she disappeared in a flash of light.

"Wow...what an exit."

~\..'../~

* * *

Several nights later they were stomping through the forest with jars in their hands to find the perfect spot for fireflies. They found a small clearing surrounded by trees. They stood in the middle with their backs together while turning in slow circles as they surveyed the area around them. Jack informed them that all they had to was wait and the bugs with the light up butts would soon appear. The girls chuckled with blushes on their cheeks from his mildly crude statement.

"I see one," Kamari murmured under her breath. She gazed with awe at the muted green glow, seeing several more appear and twinkle in response as if saying hello to the first. "They're so pretty."

"You always act like you've seen everything for the first time," Jack mused, smiling at her as she held out her arm and the little bugs began to swarm toward her.

"It's like I am seeing everything for the first time. I remember everything but when I look at it again, I still feel that same thrill," she paused, turning to gaze at him before continuing. Her eyes met his through the emerald colored cloud of incandescent insects. "Some things still make my heart beat faster no matter how many times I see them."

"Ahem," Alina coughed. "I'm still here you know."

Kamari broke free from the ardent gaze of the handsome Jack. She opened the jar and scooped up what seemed to be a thousand of the flying lights. Handing the jar to Alina, she took the empty one.

"Here you go," she said with a smile, pleased when the girl laughed joyously and danced around with the jar of light in her hands. One of the little bugs landed on her nose and her eyes crossed in her attempt to focus on it.

"You're so pretty," he said, blushing hotly when he realized he had spoken his thought aloud. Feeling extraordinarily uncomfortable, he cleared his throat to add, "Even when you look like a total dork."

"Gee, thanks," she muttered, waving away the firefly. Turning her back on Jack, she grabbed Alina's hand and joined her in the merry dance celebrating the beauty of the warm summer night.

"May I cut in?" Jack asked, taking Kamari's hand from Alina.

"No, you may not," she refused with a lopsided smile, snatching her hand from his.

"You need to quit doing so many stupid things to make her mad or she won't be our friend anymore," his sister chided him, scowling with disgust when he stuck his tongue out at her.

"I'll always be your friend," Kamari told Alina before giving Jack a mischievous grin. "You, however, are treading on thin ice."

"It's not the first time." He pulled their hands apart and inserted himself to make a small circle as they hopped and twirled around to exuberantly extol the virtues of being youthful and carefree.

Ribbons of gold began to crawl through the air like living creatures, surrounding them and spinning around them. The tendrils wrapped around them and the two humans yawned simultaneously as the offspring of the legendary being among them grinned knowingly. One of her own had arrived.

Jack winced when the substance brushed against his arm. It was gritty and abrasive like sand. He stared as it moved around his body in a glittering wave of brilliance. He laughed when a toad unexpectedly appeared from the sandy stream and jumped onto his head to sit.

"What is this?" he inquired, holding back another yawn.

"Sandy," she replied, watching as a slingshot appeared from the sand around Jack's head and a fluffy bunny hopped from the strand encompassing Alina.

"Yes, I can tell that but - "

"No, Jack...Sandy," she repeated, putting her arms out as if she were hugging someone. A short, round man with the same golden luminescence of the sand appeared in her arms.

"Oh," he breathed, his eyes widening in astonishment. "The Sandman."

"Brother," Alina whined, tugging on his sleeve as she rubbed her droopy eyes. "I'm tired. Can we go home now?"

"Amazing," he breathed, watching butterflies take flight from the magical sand swirling around his sister. Glancing at Kamari, he blinked questioningly.

"Go home, Jack. I'll come back," she assured him, holding onto the little man who had begun to levitate off the ground and was taking her with him.

Giving Kamari a wave, Jack hefted his sleepy sister into his arms and headed home. He would never forget this night. Looking at the slumbering sibling in his arms, he was sure that she would not forget either.

~...~

Kamari felt as if she had crash landed from cloud nine when she arrived home to find her father sitting in her room with a scowl on his face. She immediately realized with great clarity that Sandy had not arrived to give her human friends a rare and wonderful treat; he had come to retrieve her on orders from her father.

"I should have said something sooner but I thought it was a passing fancy," he began, wasting no time in getting to his point. "I don't want you to go back down there."

"But why?" she gasped, her chest constricting and making it hard to breath.

"You're feelings for this boy are getting out of control. I thought it was just a silly little thing you would get over. He's human and you're...not!" he exclaimed, temporarily at a loss for words. He had never explained to her what she was. It had honestly never occurred to him that he would have to. He had always just assumed it would come to her; that she would figure it out like the rest of the Guardians. She was the Guardian of Love, and he did not think that it would include romantic love especially for a human. This was an unforseen and disconcerting turn of events. He should have never let her go down there to walk among them and only observe from afar like he does.

"Daddy, they're just friends," she defended herself.

"I know what you feel for him. I can see it in your eyes." He moved to her, sliding his hand along her cheek. He looked into the silvery eyes almost devoid of color that were like his. Sadness filled them now. His heart ached for what he was about to tell her. "I forbid you to go down there again."

"You can't," she breathed, stepping back from him. Tears burned behind her eyelids.

"You can't love him. It will only hurt you in the end." He bowed his head, turning his back to her when the first glistening teardrop slid down her cheek. He could not bear to watch her cry but he had something he had to say. "Humans forget. They always forget. They don't mean to but it just happens. To all of them," he had said, raising his head so his voice would be heard clearly. "I know you deeply care about them. The boy in particular. Just guard your heart. Children become adults and we no longer exist in their world. Sometimes it happens too soon for one reason or another."

Kamari listened without stemming the tide of tears that flowed down her face. She listened with pain stabbing her heart as he warned her if she stubbornly pursued the friendship and disobeyed his command there would be consequences one day.

"It's not what I will do to you that you should fear," he declared, turning to look at her. "It's what you'll do to yourself by completely falling in love with this human. You will be the cause of your own greatest heartache."

"What if it's a risk I'm willing to take?" she questioned her father, averting her eyes and staring at the silver and gray marble floor at her feet.

The Man in the Moon sighed deeply, closing his eyes. He thought for several minutes before speaking. His pause was long enough that when he opened his eyes, his daughter's tears were gone and she was staring at him intently. After taking another deep breath, he was careful to stay calm and not say anything they would both regret.

"I've made my feelings known. What happens now is up to you. When he breaks your heart - " he halted, raising his hands as she opened her mouth to protest. He knew she was about to counter with "if it happens" or "it will never happen." He had lived far too long and knew human nature too well not to accurately predict the outcome of this. "When it happens, I won't say I told you so. I will be here for you. I love you, Kamari."

Kamari could not bring herself to say it back and her jaw tightened obstinately to keep the words from coming out.

"No matter. You can't be angry forever." He clasped his hands behind his back and strode to the door.

"I hate you," she muttered venomously, regretting the words when she saw his back stiffen as he froze with his hand in mid-air, halfway to the doorknob. She stepped back when he whirled around to look at her. Rather than seeing an expression of unbridled anger, the hurt she saw on his face pricked her heart and filled her with remorse.

"No, you don't. It's not within your nature. Besides, hate is not the opposite of love.* It's apathy. As long as you're still feeling something, the love is within you. Be angry. Abhor me if you have to. But never stop feeling something. Indifference is the true enemy of love. That is when we disappear from their lives...when they just don't care anymore," he said, his eyes boring into hers.

"Daddy," she gasped, unable to say anything more as he walked out of the room. Her father's last words would not stop replaying in her head.

"_Indifference is the true enemy of love. That is when we disappear from their lives...when they just don't care anymore."_

* * *

* The following is the full quote by Elie Wiesel (Romanian born American writer and winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1986)

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."


	4. Chapter 4

Kamari did not stop going to see them just like her father already knew she would. Fall came and they took to climbing the bare trees to drop down into the piles of leaves that formed beneath from the chill winds pulling the dry leaves free from the branches. The autumn sunsets came early and were absolutely gorgeous with the bold gold, oranges, and reds just like the leaves that were scattered on the ground. The cooler nights were spent talking in hushed tones while gathered in a huddle on Alina's bed. Some nights, they bundled up and strolled through the forest while waiting for winter to come so the pond would freeze and they could go skating again.

When the air did grow cold, Kamari knew it was time for her to go to help North. She would not be seeing Jack and Alina for a while because as a Guardian it was her duty to assist the other Guardians as well as the humans. Christmas was coming and it was his busy season after all. He could always use every free helping hand. She had told Alina good night and was preparing to leave when she beckoned Jack to follow her out of the window. When she was sure they were far enough away from the house, she turned to talk to him. Apparently she turned a little too abruptly because he bumped into her with enough momentum he had to reach out to seize her by the arms to keep her from falling. She blinked nervously as she gazed into his deep brown eyes when he pulled her almost nose to nose with him.

"Careful," he said, clearing his throat and letting her go when they both suddenly felt a little too warm on the chilly night.

"Jack, I won't be back for a while," she told him, watching his eyebrows draw together with concern.

"But why? Did we do something wrong? We haven't told anyone about you," he rambled defensively, afraid they had offended her in some way.

"No, no that's not it," she assured him, laying her hand on his shoulder to calm him. "I have to go help North, or Santa as you call him, get ready for Christmas."

"Oh? So you'll be one of Santa's little helpers," he teased with a lopsided grin.

"We'll Santa's little helpers aren't really that helpful. They're actually kind of dumb but they're really sweet. It's the Yetis that make the toys and - " She allowed her words to die in the air and hang there between them as he gave her a look of disbelief. "Okay, anyway, I won't be coming back for a while. I just wanted you to know so you wouldn't worry."

"Thank you for telling me," he murmured, moving closer to her and putting his arms around her for a gentle embrace. "I'll miss you."

Once Kamari could breath again, she put her arms around his slim body to return the hug. "I'll miss you too."

~\..'../~

* * *

"Kamari!" North bellowed in his strong Russian accented voice.

"Is she doing it again?" Bunnymund asked, unable to hide the grin on his face. He had already dealt with the lovesick girl daydreaming while helping him prepare for Easter. Now it was North's turn to handle her distractedness.

"What?" she dreamily inquired, noticing the massive man with the white beard and piercing sapphire eyes glaring down at her. She followed his line of vision when he shifted it to the doll she had been working on. The red paint for the lips had been trailed across the face and a big heart painted on the cheek.

"Awwww," the great furry beast beside her groaned in frustration. This was the fourth one the poor, already overworked creature would have to fix.

Kamari was momentarily distracted with a different train of thought as she smiled apologetically to the gentle giant with cream-colored fur and dark brown eyes that of course reminded her of Jack. Gazing at the Yeti she wondered if they fell in love. Did they have time for it? They were always so busy at the workshop and...glancing around her and seeing dozens of them of all different colors diligently laboring away at their work tables she knew they had to fall in love at some point and become families because there was so darn many of them.

"Kammie, why don't you come over here?" North suggested, leading her to the work station of a momentarily horrified white Yeti with crystal blue eyes. This one was sewing buttons on the shirt of a toy soldier.

"Uh, North," Bunnymund began apprehensively poking him in the shoulder with a huge furry paw. "Do you think giving her a needle is a good idea in her, um, state?"

"Hmmm, you are correct, Bunny," he returned, thoughtfully tugging on his long beard. He smiled down at the silly girl with her head in the clouds, in a manner of speaking at this time, watching her trace the word nice tattooed on his arm.

"She's in love," Tooth murmured, hovering over North's shoulder.

"Yes, it's quite disturbing," the grumpy Bunnymund interjected.

"Bunny, shhhh," the other two hissed at him.

There was a tinkling sound like a bell behind them signaling Sandy was trying to say something. They turned to look at him to see the man standing on his tiptoes while staring above his head as his sand formed a heart then a silhouette of a boy on one side and a girl on the other. He clasped his hands together and lay them against his cheek while sighing noisily like Kamari did on a regular basis when lost in her thoughts about Jack. The other three could not stop their chuckles of amusement and delight.

"Don't make fun of me," Kamari pouted, poking at the 'naughty' tattooed on North's other forearm.

"Oh, sweetie, you're in love. There's nothing wrong with that," Tooth cooed, patting her on the shoulder.

Kamari smiled at the hummingbird like being as tall as her with a human looking face and hands. She reached out to touch the Tooth Fairy's cheek to thank her for understanding. They had been best friends for centuries. She had a lonely existence for the most part until the other female Guardian came along. At the moment she was exceptionally glad she had an ally. She accepted the hug from Sandy when he rushed forward after seeing her sad expression. He was such a sweet little thing. The best part about him was that he could say so much without ever speaking a word. Unlike the other two who were still laughing at her expense. Giving them a disapproving scowl, she set off to find her own Yeti to help.

After passing several tables, Kamari stopped at the one where the dark brown Yeti was putting together skates. She immediately thought of her two special human friends. Meeting the gaze of the bright blue eyes that viewed her with trepidation, she asked the creature, "Can I help?"

The Yeti grunted his approval after thinking a moment. He showed her how to sew up the back seam then move on to assembling the rest of the skate. After looking her over judiciously as if considering her capability to attach the blade, he took her small hands in his great big hairy hands and showed her how to affix the sharp silver blade to the bottom.

"I got it," she said, giving the hulking creature a happy smile. Making it a point to concentrate on the assembling of the skates, she would remind herself she could not make a mistake because at the end she had two sets she would reserve as gifts for her cherished friends.

~\..'../~

* * *

"No. Absolutely not," Kamari flatly refused, putting her arm around Alina protectively as they both stared at the icy pond in horror. What had she been thinking? Ice skates for Christmas! Both had their reasons for not wanting to go onto the ice: Alina feared falling through and Kamari feared the snowbanks.

"Please," Jack pleaded, his big brown eyes gazing deeply into Kamari's almost clear ones.

"You won't let me go?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"He will," Alina whispered to her, clutching her arms tightly. It was a given that she had no intention of letting go.

"I won't!" he exclaimed holding out both of his hands as if to show he had no tricks up his sleeves. "You come too, sis. Your skates are right there."

"Shall we try?" she questioned Jack's sister. If Alina would trust him, she would give him another chance.

Alina stared at the new skates she had just received from Santa. She had not tried them out yet but wanted to so badly.

"Yes, let's do," she answered gleefully. "You first. I'll be getting my skates on."

"Hmmm," Kamari hummed, turning to Jack who was holding out his hand. Glancing down at his bare feet, she was disappointed that he had not even put on his skates. Of course he had never used them before.

"Come on, trust me...please," he implored her, drawing her eyes back to his face. He momentarily felt guilty he had forgotten to bring his skates.

Kamari slid her hand into his, surprised by how warm it was considering her had been standing on the ice for several minutes in his bare feet. He astonished her with tolerance for the cold. He never got sick or even seemed to notice the frigid temperatures of the ice and snow he handled with his bare hands and walked on in his bare feet.

Jack pulled her toward him, placing his arm around her waist. Pushing off with his foot, he held her as they glided across the ice gently. He could feel her body tensing as they neared the edge so he carefully steered her to his other side so he was closer to the bank.

"There. I told you," he said, when she released an audible sigh of relief as they skated parallel to the bank decorated with a high ridge of snow before turning to go back toward Alina. "Catch her as we go by. I'll hang on to you."

Kamari held out her hand for the girl, reaching for her outstretched hand . She securely grabbed Alina's hand dragging her onto the ice. If Jack had not been holding her tightly, they both would have landed on their behinds. Allowing natural force and motion to work for them, he pulled the girls along at a higher rate of speed, swinging them around to skirt the very edge of the pond in wide turn. Their squeals and giggles of delight brought a smile to his face.

"See, it can still be fun even if no one lands in the snow," Kamari told him, giving him a wide smile.

After about an hour of skating, the chill had worked its way through Alina and she was ready to go home. Jack hefted his tired and freezing sister onto his back then they started home. He and Kamari walked in a comfortable silence, the elation from the evening still making their hearts beat too fast. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts as Alina fell asleep on her brother's back from the gentle rocking of Jack's casual gait.

"I'm glad you came back," Jack said, speaking just as the house appeared in the valley below when they crested the hill. He stopped to look at her when she did not say anything.

"Jack, will you forget me?" Kamari asked, reaching out to push the hair out of Alina's face. She had been thinking about her father's warning. 'If he forgets, it means he doesn't care about me anymore,' she pondered quietly while chewing her bottom lip nervously.

"I'll never forget you," he told her, pushing a stray lock of her silver hair behind her ear after a cold wind blew it across her face.

Kamari felt as if she could barely breath when his eyes did not move from hers. Her palms were sweaty and her throat dry as he edged closer to her. Her heart once again sped up, bumping against her rib cage when his eyes moved to her lips. She had heard about this. The humans called it a kiss, and he was about to give her one.

"Jack, I'm tired," Alina whined, shifting uncomfortably on his back.

"Good night, Alina," Kamari whispered to her, kissing her on the cheek. It was not the kiss she had been hoping for, but it seemed more appropriate. "Good night, Jack."

"Good night, Moon," he responded, watching as she faded and disappeared in burst of light.

~\..'../~

* * *

"He's really cute," Tooth sighed as they watched Jack sleeping from outside of his window. She had come here tonight personally to retrieve Alina's tooth with Kamari along for the flight.

"Have you ever been in love, Tooth?" Kamari inquired, glancing at her beautiful companion who ruffled her brilliant blue and green plumage. She had always thought Tooth was absolutely gorgeous. She often wondered what she had looked like as a human.

"I'm sure I have," she said wistfully, turning away from the window to go to the next one. They were here on a mission after all. It was time to get that baby tooth from Alina. "But that was centuries ago! I can't remember."

"We forget too?" Kamari was horrified with the possibility. She did not want to forget them. She loved them. Her cheeks heated with the thought of expressing her feelings to Jack. She had told Alina many times in the extended time they had known each other and the child who was quickly becoming a woman would always return the sentiment. It made her sad that her friends may soon no longer remember her.

"There are some things we never forget," Tooth assured her, giving her an encouraging smile. Opening the window to Alina's room, she easily slipped her small lithe body over the frame and into the room.

Kamari tried to follow suit but was not quite so graceful. She lost her balance on her exit into the room and after doing her best impression of a chicken trying to be an eagle, she came to land with a loud thump against the wall before meeting the floor in a painful heap.

"Omigosh!" Tooth gushed, running to her with an obvious expression of worry twisting her face.

"OW!" she screeched, rubbing her sore head. Her behind would just have to ache - she wasn't rubbing that.

"Shhhhh!" her friend hissed, covering Kamari's mouth with her tiny hands.

"Oh, for pete's sake! They know me. Calm down," she mumbled, pushing away the fairy's hands before slowly rising to her feet.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine."

Tooth unleashed a gale of laughter that made Kamari glare at her. At least she made sure her friend was okay before completely enjoying her humiliating trip and fall.

"What's going on?" Alina yawned, sitting up in the bed.

"Kamari!" Tooth exclaimed, hiding behind her.

"Why are you here? I didn't expect to see you again so soon." The girl who had just turned twelve rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and blinked expectantly at her friend.

"I brought a friend." She stepped aside to reveal Tooth in all of her brightly colored glory.

"So pretty. The Tooth Fairy?" she queried, looking between both of the mythical beings in front of her.

"The one and only!" Tooth proclaimed, moving forward. Holding out her hand with the palm up, she said, "I think you have something for me."

"I do? Oh, oh, I do!" Alina reached under her pillow and pulled out the tooth before placing it in the delicate hands of the legendary fairy. She handed the child a gold coin in return and received a shriek of happiness.

"What's going on in here?" Jack bellowed, crashing through the door.

"Jack, Jack, the Tooth Fairy," Alina shouted, pointing at her.

"Tooth Fairy?" he muttered in aggravation. Scratching his head, he surveyed the empty air beside him. "I don't see anything. Go back to sleep."

"But she's there! Right there! And Kamari too!" she exclaimed, panic seeping into her voice. Why couldn't he see them? They were standing right beside him!

"There's nothing there. I'm going back to bed," he grumpily replied before turning away and slamming the door.

"Oh, no," gasped Tooth, pressing her fingers to her lips before she said anything more. Her deep violet eyes flew to her friend who looked positively shell-shocked.

"He didn't see me," Kamari whispered in disbelief. Placing her hand on her chest, she tried to prevent her heart from shattering like glass but it did not work. Dropping to her knees, she felt the pain settle into her chest and begin to seep into the rest of her body. So this was what her father meant by a broken heart.

"Jack is a fifteen year old boy. He doesn't believe in much of anything anymore," Alina remarked sadly and with amazing insight.

"Are you okay?" Tooth asked Kamari, taking her by the hand.

"It-it hurts. Tooth, I want to go home," she said, staring up into the sympathetic purple eyes.

...

Jack leaned against the wall, avoiding looking out the window. He did not want to see her as she was leaving. He had seen her standing right there beside him in the room but pretended like he didn't. She had been close enough to touch yet he could not even acknowledge her presence. Their father was dead and he had become the man of the house. It was time for him to quit believing in childish things like Santa and the Tooth Fairy, the Man in the Moon...and his daughter. Closing his eyes did not completely shield him from seeing the brilliant flash that signaled her departure. Tears slipped from beneath his tightly pinched eyelids. He had not yet told Alina that their father was gone. It could wait until in the morning. Laying down on his bed, he allowed the tears to come. He cried for the loss of his father, for the loss of his childhood, and for the loss of _his _Kamari. He loved her but was too young to know he should have just told her so.

~\..'../~

* * *

Kamari watched Jack and Alina from her home in the sky but never returned to visit them. Watching the funeral had made her feel that heaviness and pain in her chest all over again as tears streamed down the faces of the friends she loved so much. Crying with them, she held the snow globe to her chest that North had given her to view them whenever she wanted. Her observation of them continued on a daily basis but only when her father was not expecting her to take care of her other duties. It was her job to send down moonbeams to light the sky to enhance a romantic mood or highlight a lover's face with just the right luminiscence to stir those romantic feelings that led to true love. Sometimes it almost seemed like a cruel punishment to her. She no longer visited earth to walk among the humans. She was content to view them from her room and manipulate the moonlight to give them something she would never have - at least not with Jack.

Kamari enjoyed the times when Jack and Alina visited the pond the most because it reminded her of the times they had spent there together. That's where they were going today as she watched them from afar with a small smile lifting her lips. Leaning closer to globe her friend had given her, her smile widened as the ever protective Jack stepped onto the ice first. He had always tested the ice to keep them safe. She frowned as Alina immediately followed. Alina had never done that before.

"No," she breathed, grabbing the globe when Jack stopped moving and yelled at his sister to stay back. Looking closer at the ice, she could see the ice had begun to crack under his feet. "Oh, no."

"Jack, I'm scared!" Alina yelled, the fear showing on her face.

"Just stay calm," he said, reaching for his staff that looked like Shepherd's crook. "Walk to me. Slowly."

"I-I c-can't m-move," she stuttered in terror as the ice made a creaking sound and started to split.

"Alina, please!" Jack begged, attempting to think quickly. He could not ignore the loose feeling of the ice beneath his feet or the fact that the crack in the ice was racing toward his sister. Trying not to panic, he shouted, "Let's play a game!"

"A what?" Alina was confused. The ice was breaking and he wanted to play a game? So typical of Jack. She did not understand he was trying to save her life.

Jack leaned forward, tentatively pressing his hand to the shifting ice to reach forward for his crook. "A game," he said, stretching to reach the piece of wood before continuing, "like hopscotch. Hop once. Toward me. Carefully."

"Like this?" His sister took a small bunny hop, crying out when the ice beneath her feet broke and slid apart. She screamed as the fear flooded her like the water overflowing the fractured ice.

"That's it! Another! Quickly!" he commanded, straining to reach the staff. One more, just a step closer and he would have her. "One more...hurry!"

Jack fell forward to seize his crook when he was sure his sister was close enough. Grabbing Alina with the hooked end, he flung her indelicately off the ice into the powdery snow heaped on the bank. He was more concerned about saving her life than saving her from a few bruises. He had a high tolerance for cold things but the shock of the icy water was too much. Unable to even cry out in surprise or fear, he sank below the surface.

...

"NO!" Kamari bellowed nearly dropping the snowglobe when Jack disappeared beneath the water. "DADDY!"

"What? WHAT?!" the Man in the Moon exclaimed, appearing in her room with a panicked expression on his after her horrifying scream.

"D-D-D-Daddy!" she stammered through her tears, shoving the snowglobe into his hands so he could see for himself. She was too overcome with emotion to speak.

"Oh, no," he murmured, watching as Jack sank toward the bottom of the pond.

"Daddy, help him, please," she pleaded, tears flowing from her eyes in a constant stream.

Thinking for a moment, he knew it was useless to try to save the boy by going down to him. They would never make it in time. Even if they did, it was doubtful he would survive because Jack would be dreadfully sick. He placed his hand on the top of his daughter's head. "You love him, don't you?"

"Yes, Daddy... please, save him."

The Man in the Moon considered his daughter's request and thought about the boy. Jack had given his life to save his sister. He had spent the last year protecting her and taking care of her since their father had died. He had been a right and proper guardian.

"I know what to do."


End file.
